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Obama addresses South by Southwest tech festival

Posted at 11:41 AM, Mar 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-11 17:15:42-05

AUSTIN, Texas ? President Barack Obama is asking tech enthusiasts to use new tools and innovation to "tackle big problems in new ways."

Obama says his administration is trying to make services easier to access online, has overhauled student loan forms and is trying to use technology to improve research into diseases.

But he says activists and industry leaders need to keep looking for new ways to partner with government to bring in new ideas. He is urging activists to use technology to increase voter registration and turnout.

Obama spoke at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas. He is the first sitting U.S. president to attend the tech festival.